WD chats with the musician about writing, performing and becoming a new dad

Robin Thicke, son of Growing Pains star Alan Thicke and husband to the actress Paula Patton (Precious), stepped quietly on the music scene as a songwriter for stars like Christina Aguilera, Marc Anthony and Brandy. He slowly rose to fame with the release of his second album, The Evolution of Robin Thicke, which sold over 1.5 million copies. His fourth album, Sex Therapy, came out in December 2009, and he's currently on tour. We recently chatted with the star to find out more about the man behind the microphone.

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Where do you get inspiration for the songs you write and perform?
Well, I have to make music. I can't go too long without it. It's what I've been doing my whole life, so I'm always just trying to write what I'm going through and what I'm feeling and just explore.

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I've wanted to be a singer since I was 7 years old. I was signed at 16, and I started writing and producing for people like Brandy and Brian McKnight around the same time. I was off and running at a young age.

Your dad played the father on Growing Pains. Did he inspire you to go the stardom route?
My mom [Gloria Loring] was actually a singer. She was an actress on Days of Our Lives, but she was also a singer. Since both of them were entertainers, they inspired me to want to entertain. MTV also provided tons of motivation for me, and as soon as Michael Jackson showed up, that was all the motivation I needed.

You met your wife when you were 14. When you met her, did you ever think, "One day I'm going to marry this girl"?
When I met her, I was like, "I love this girl. She's amazing." I definitely thought she was different from everybody else, and I fell for her very quickly and very hard. Over the years, we just became such good friends that we were inseparable.

How do the two of you make time for each other with your busy schedules? We fly a lot. We've got to get in 48 hours here and a few days there. I come home immediately if I've got a day off.

The two of you are expecting your first child. How have you prepared for fatherhood?
Really it's just about taking care of Paula. When she feels loved and protected, then the baby feels loved and protected. We've also gotten the baby's room ready and all that kind of stuff. The one good thing about having a little success is you can control your schedule so I can be there with Paula when she needs me.

What can we expect next from Robin Thicke?
I won't stop with the music until I feel like I've exhausted it. I'll definitely get in a few more albums before I want to take a rest. So there's a lot more music to come.